Distinguishing between employment relations and industrial relations: Is employment relations an old wine in a new bottle?

Abstract

In the review of extant literature as regards industrial and employment relations approaches, it has been unveiled in this study that there exist differences in these approaches. These differences revealed shows that the shift from industrial relations to employment relations approach is not an “old wine in a new bottle” but a “new wine in a new bottle”. This study which is anchored upon Unitary and Conflict theories provides some justification for this viewpoint and recommends some positive actions to be taken in order to end the confusion in the usage of the two concepts/approaches both in theory and practice.